Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5151 .B3 1659

59) f ngulari Eeriefia, an. ad plures, poteflas ifa deveaea°it. Ye i unum f .,siare,, Præfeeha r; quern ex famofiore Eccicfaur 'Epifcopumvúlgó dictmus, poteflaten:tfla,n to ftagulari colt ex Clrr i(li o Apoflolorum tnflitutione n:nnquam ?tot pertìntriVe affirmarn as. ] You fee here that it is but [ infingulari Eccléfix ] _& [ r`n f 'e1ari CCetii ] that he affirmeth an.Epifcopacy of Chrifts and the Apoftles .inflitution. And fuchBifhops mof.Churches,in england'have already. munionin the folemnWorfhipofGod,but only of the Chriflians of one fuch Congregationwitha tingle Pallor (though in that wed ffent,and fuppofe therewe e morePailors then one ufually, or often.) That this mull be granted with the tell is apparent. a, The Reverend Author faith as Bifhop Domain before cited [That the Gofpel wasfirfl preached by the Apoflesand but few Converted, they ordained in every City and region, no more but a Bi/h p and one or more Deacons ro attendhim, there beingat the prefent fofmal flore Out of xvbich to take more , andfofmall need of ordaining more, that tfi3 Bifhop is conflituted more for the fake of thofewhich ffs2nld after believe,ehen oftheft which didalready.] 2. And its proved thus : If there were in Scripture times any 'more ordinary Worfhiping Afietnbli=son the Lords dayesthen one under one Bifhop, then either they did Preach, Pray, Praife God, and adminifter the Lords Supper in thofeAffem- blies, or they did-not : If not, then a. were no fuchWor-, th pping Affemblies as we (peak of. 2. And they fhould °fin againfl Chrift who required it. 3. And-differ from his Churches which ordinarily ufed it. But if they did thus, then either they /had fome Pallor ( Presbyter orB ifhop,) to perform there holy atiorïs betweenGod and the people, or not : If not, then they fuppofe thatLty -menmight do all this Minifterial work,inWord, Sacraments, Prayer, and Praife in thename oftheAffembly,&c. And iffo, what then is proper to the Miniflry? then farewell Bi- fhops andPresbyters too. If not,then either the Bifhop mull be in two Affemblies at once performing the Holy Worfhip ofGod in their communion ( but thats impoflible :) orelfe he mull have fomeatlifling Presbyters to do it ; But chats denyed : There- fore it mull needs follow that the Church order,'conftitution and praaifedGovernment which was in Scripture times, was this; that a fingle Worfhipping Congregation was that particular Churchwhich had a Presbyter or Bifhop ( oneor more) which watched over and ruled that only Congregation as his Diefsor' T:2 proper

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